The Prince's Bride ✔️

| Chapter 18 |

Stefan helps me down and ties Cloudburst to a tree.   He leaves the reigns loose enough for her to enjoy some grass in the shade.

"Can you walk through here without shoes on?" He asks.

I might ruin my nylons, but I nod anyway.   I don't want to miss out on his surprise. I give him a nod and follow him through the dense foliage.

A small stream runs through the lush thicket, and we follow it to a little clearing where a picnic is spread out.

"I hope you don't mind, but I wanted to steal you away today."

"I don't mind at all!" I grin from ear to ear.

We sit down, and Stefan starts pulling finger sandwiches out of the basket.

"When did you get this ready?" I ask.

He meekly smiles, "Technically, I just asked the staff get it ready for me.  It lost it's charm, hasn't it?"

"No, not at all.  You still thought of it.  I probably couldn't put a finger sandwich together if my life depended on it."

"I highly doubt that, but thank you."

I smile and take a bit of the sandwich.   It is wonderful, and I hum in delight as I eat it.

Stefan had sandwiches,  blueberry scones, and even tea in a thermos packed for us.  Even though he didn't make everything,  I can tell he put a whole lot of thought into it, and it warms my heart.

I look around the thicket as we enjoy our tea and enjoy the beauty.   I truly feel like I could die of happiness when I notice Stefan staring at me.

"What?" I ask bashfully.

"You're just so...adorable," he says.

I can feel my cheeks turning red, "You're just saying that?"

"I'm really not.  I don't think I could have found a better woman to be queen, if I picked her out myself."

Stefan's eyes fall to my lips, and my heart flips.  He slowly leans in, and I hold my breath and anxiously close my eyes.

His lips caress mine, and I can feel myself trembling.  My heart slams against my chest when his tongue slips past my lips.

My breath becomes ragged as I lay back on the blanket. 

Stefan looks down at me as if trying to figure out if this is what I really want.   I haven't known him long, but it feels like we've known each other forever.

If I think about it too long, I'll lose the courage to go ahead with it. At this moment,  it's exactly what I want, and I don't want to let my self-doubt change my mind.

Stefan leans down and kisses my neck, sending warm shivers through me.

His hand trails up my leg and under the skirt of my dress.  Leaving a fiery tingling trail wherever his fingers trace against my skin. I gasp when he trails kisses down my neck to my collarbone.

My dress is pushed up above my waist as Stefan gets between my legs.  We are both completely clothed because he's taking each moment so slowly, driving me wild.

Stefan's fingers pull at my nylons, and my fingers wrestle with the buttons of his shirt when I hear something crashing through the woods toward us.

"Stefan!" I hear Theodore call out, and I gasp.

"Shit," Stefan quickly jerks up, running his fingers through his hair and searching the wood line to see how close he is and if he saw us.

I quickly sit up, and Stefan pulls my skirt back over my knees.  We get adjusted just in time.  Theodore came crashing around the corner as I smoothed out my skirt.

"What do you need, Theo?"  Stefan asks him.

"Dad said the two of you were down here.  I thought I'd see what you were up to."

"I was enjoying a private birthday celebration with Lady Graylynn,"  Stefan hinted.

"It's your birthday?" Theodore asks as he plops down next to me.

I instinctively scoot closer to Stefan, "Yes."

"Isn't it Grayson's birthday too?" He asked.

"We're twins," I  inform him.

"Oh that's right.  I think he's mentioned that before." Theodore snaps his fingers before giving me a slimy smile.

An awkward silence falls between us, but Theodore doesn't seem to get the hint. 

Stefan finally caves and starts packing up the basket, "We should probably head back."

I want to kill Theodore; if I could shoot lasers out of my eyes, he would be dead.

I help Stefan gather everything up as Theodore watches us.

"You guys missed out last night," Theodore rambles.

"I think you partied hard enough to cover both Lady Graylynn's and my place, don't you think, Theo?" Stefan grumbles.

Theo gets a proud grin on his smug round face, "Hell ya, I did."

I can see Stefan roll his eyes, but Theodore doesn't seem to notice.

By the time we get back to Cloudburst,  Stefan is irritated with Theodore's rambling on how last night was the best party ever.

"It's to bad that Glensberg has such lame traditions.  I can't exactly get drunk off my ass riding around all day on a horse."

"That poor horses back," I  think to myself.   I feel guilty for my own thoughts.

I actually don't have anything against Theodore's weight.   I'm sure he can't help it. I just have something against Theodore.  I probably wouldn't mind his outward appearance if he didn't have such a hideous soul.   I like his mum, and even though she looks just like Theodore,  I find her to be beautiful.

Stefan helps me mount Cloudburst but doesn't climb up behind me.

"You ride ahead, I'm going to walk back with Theo, okay?"

I wasn't okay with it, but I nod anyway.

Happy to get some distance between Theodore's wondering eyes and myself, I tap Cloudburst's side, and she takes off in a steady trot.

I get back to the stable long before Stefan and Theodore.   I don't want to wait around for them just because of Theodore, not Stefan.  I just want to sit in a dark room and contemplate exactly how I will murder Theodore when he returns.   We were so damn close!

Well, maybe close isn't the right word.   I  guess a hiked-up skirt and two buttons undone on Stefan's shirt "close," but I'd be much closer to Stefan right now if it weren't for his idiot cousin.

There aren't any rules about premarital relationships for the prince,  but it isn't exactly smiled upon either.  If Stefan and I are going to get down and dirty, it would be best that no one knows about it.

I put Cloudburst away and promise her to come back and give her a nice brush down later.